Ventura County Library Services Agency

Divide the county into service districts and allow each city to operate its own branch using property tax revenues

Develop a Joint Powers Agency UPA) with the seven cities to govern central services

Restructure the agency from top to bottom, bringing more staff out of administration to put in branches and expand hours

Contract out more services

Put 5%c ent sales tax increase measure on ballot to generate about $8 million revenue for libraries

If sales tax election fails, put parcel tax proposal on ballot

Relocate library management to offices in the Government Center to save money and centralize administration -

Establish a private library foundation for supplemental funding

Provide joint purchasing and accounting services. After release of the consultant’s report, in January 1997, the VCISA manage- ment issued a detailed response. The response restructured staffing and signifi- cantly increased hours. In order to achieve these changes, homework centers, summer reading programs, adult literacy programs, and a select depository for state and federal documents were eliminated. In January 1997 the Board of Supervisors appointed the Library lmplementa- tion Committee as an informal policy making group. The Board pledged to empower the committee short of ceding final authority regarding library plans. The committee is composed of representatives horn all seven cities served by VCLSAandtwomembersoftheBoardofSupenrisors.Theremainingthreecities have been asked to participate if they so choose. The first meeting was held in January 1997. Ventura, Simi Valley and Camarillo did not send representatives since they had decided to negotiate directly with the county. There was general agreement among those who did attend that all cities need to participate if agreement can be reached on the restructuring and financing of libraries. The committee chairman presented the Library Purchasing Partnership pro- posal for consideration. This proposal describes a consortium to purchase books, to provide training, to purchase materials in bulk, and to coordinate other agreed upon central services. Cities could contract for these services or - perform them themselves At the committee’s second meeting in February 1997, representatives from cities of Camarillo and Simi Valley attended. The Ventura representative did not attend but favors a proposal which the Simi Valley mayor presented, based - on a paper entitled “Library Vision for Ventura” prepared by the Ventura City Manager. Simi Valley agrees with the proposal to have individual cities run their own libraries. The Ventura plan called for a formula to distribute revenue to the cities. Each city would receive the property tax collected within city limits plus a per capita share of other library money ordinarily allocated to VCLSA. This proposal met with protest from the smaller cities who fear that their libraries would suffer. Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai and Port Hueneme want to work together on a JPA or some other partnership. . The committee decided to ask individual city managers and the County Administrative Officer to meet as a “technical committee” and report on the financial pros and cons of aJoint Powers Agency. At this writing, the technical committee continues to meet to develop a services district map which could be - used to determine the base revenue needed to operate branch libraries in each of the districts. Discussions reportedly emphasize more local control by the cities. The technical committee will be reporting to the Implementation Committee with its recommendations. . In order to cut some operating costs immediately, the business administration offices have been moved from rented facilities on Telegraph Road to the fourth floor of the Government Center Building, saving over $5,000 per month rental. . Utilizing ideas generated by the consultant, other reorganization is underway. . Some of the central library management personnel are augmenting staffing requirements in branch libraries in order to increase the number of hours that libraries are open. - . Currently a major book and materials inventory is being conducted. Within the coming months the collection will be examined for outdated and worn materials and cataloguing will be completed. - CONCLUSIONS -